Control device



March 22; 1938. s RUSSEL 2,112,220

GONTROL DEVICE Filed Oqt. 22, 1936 I 11v VENTOR BY f W K M M .4 TTORNE yPatented Mar. 22, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE troit LubricatorCompany, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October22, 1936, Serial No. 1116,9911

11 Claims.

My invention relates generally to control devices and more particularlyto gravity feed control devices.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide 6 a new and improvedliquid levelcontrol device of a character which will maintain a morenearly constant liquid level in a reservoir.

Another object of my invention is to provide for operatively connectingan actuated member and an actuator in a novel manner such that therewill be no lost motion or slack in the connection therebetween.

Another object of my invention is to operatively,

- thereinto there is a removable, open ended. tubuconnect a float and avalve .actuated thereby in a manner such that lost motion between thefloat and valve will be eliminated and slack therebetween. which wouldordinarily occur due to wear of the parts, will be prevented.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel connecting meansfor operatively connecting a float and valve actuated thereby such thatthere will not be any'lost movement therebetween and yet which willpermit the valve to be separately and readily removed from the devicefor cleaning the valve and its cooperative seat.

- Another object of my invention is to provide for a liquid levelcontrol device, an efliclent yet strongly constructed, durable hollowfloat that will not be likely to leak.

Another object of my invention is to provide for a liquid level controldevice, an eflicient float ater specific gravity than desired so thatfloat can be strongly constructed and to proof th vide in a simple andinexpensive manner for compensating for the excess weight of the float.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination ofparts, to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of thedirection of the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing certain parts of mydevice, and r Fig. 4 is a view shown in elevation of one of the parts ofmy device shown removed therefrom.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown acontrol device of the type adapted to control flow of liquid fuel, suchas oil, to a burner (not shown), and this device includes a casing I,the top of which may be closed by a removable closure member or cover 2.The casing I has a-chamber or reservoir 3, an inlet 4 and an outlet 5for liquid. The inlet 4 and outlet 5 may be located in the bottom wallof casing l, as

shown, and preferably the casing bottom wall,

within chamber 3, has-an integral, upwardly di- 10 rected, tubularextended portion 6 aligning with the inlet 4. Mounted on the upper endof the tubular portion 6 and preferably screw threaded lar fitting orvalve seat member I that extends 5 vertically upward into chamber 3. Thefitting I is provided, intermediate its ends, with an internaltransverse wall 8 having an aperture or bore 9 therethrough providinga'port and upwardly facing seat ill for cooperation with the conicalface ll of a reciprocable valve member I2. The valve I2 is preferably ofthe so-called needle type and has a stem l3 which projects upwardlyabove the upper end of the fitting I and preferably a cap member I4 isfitted onto the upper end of the fitting'and has an aperturetherethrough for slidably receiving and guiding the valve l2.

Within casing I there is a supporting member ii that is preferably ofgeneral U-shape having a base I6 from which a pair of spaced,upstanding. sides I! extend, and this supporting member l5 may bemounted on the tubular portion 6 and be rigidly secured to the casing Iby the fitting l. The base It of the supporting member I5 may beprovided with an aperture therethrough for receiving a lower end portionof the fitting I which .may be tightened down to clamp the base betweenthe upper end of the tubular portion 6 and a downwardly facing externalshoulder ll! of the fitting 1. Preferably the base I6 is interposedbetween washers or gaskets I9 to insure a fluid- 'tight connection.Adjacent their upper ends the sides ll of the U-shaped support I5 areprovided with aligning apertures to receive a shaft or pivot pin 20, andpivotally supported intermediate its ends'on the pin 20 there is a levermember 2|. Rigidiy secured to one end of the lever 2| there is a hollowweight member or float 22 that is disposed in the reservoir or chamber 3for actuating the valve member ii. The weight or float 22 is stronglyconstructed and as a result its specific gravity is in excess of thatwhich would float at a level to maintain the desired, substantiallyconstant level in chamber 3. Rigldly secured to the other end of lever2! on the opposite side of the pivot pin 20 from the float 22 there is asecond weight member 24 that preferably depends from the underside ofthe lever 2|, and this second weight member 24 counterbalances the float22 or compensates for the excess weight .of float 22 whereby the valvemember l2 will be actuated to maintain the desired, substantiallyconstant level in chamber 3., By reason of the counterbalancing weightmember 24 the hollow float 22 may be made of a metal of such thicknessthat the float will be strong and durable. If desired, the float 22 mayconsist of a solid piece of metal, such as aluminum, if a suflicientlyheavy counterbalancing weight is provided to compensate for the excessweight so that the float will float at the proper level.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lever 2| is preferably of plate-like form and ispreferably provided with a substantially rectangular shaped opening oraperture 2| therethrough for freely receiving the valve stem l3. Inorder to operatively connect the float 22 and valve l2 in a manner suchthat there will not be any lost motion or slack therebetween and so thatthe valve may be readily removable from the casing I provide a resilientor spring connecting or holding member 25 that is preferably carried bylever 2| and holds the valve l2 to the lever. The connecting member 25may be formed of spring sheet metal of rectangular shape, andv may besecured at one of its ends to the lever 2| between the underside of thelever and the weight member 24. The connecting member 25 and lever 2|may be provided with aligning apertures for receiving a reduced extendedportion 26 of the weight member 24, the extended portion 26 beingadapted to be peened over as a rivet to rigidly secure the weight,connecting member and lever together. The connecting member 25preferably lies flat against the underside of lever 2| and has adownwardly disposed, oflset portion 21 at its other or free end, throughwhich is provided an elongated aperture or slot 28 for receiving thevalve member |2. The valve |2 preferably has a transversely extendingabutment member, preferably a pin 29, opposite end portions of which areengaged by the connecting member -25 which is under tension urging thepin upward into engagement with the underside of lever 2|. Thus theconnecting member 25, acting through the pin 29, urges the valve l2upward and holds the valve to the lever 2| so that there will be no lostmotion or slack therebetween. By providing the tensioned member 25 withthe offset portion 21 it will be seen that the force exerted by themember 25 will be directed more nearly vertical to reduce side thrust onvalve. The abutment pin 29 provides a convex-surface for abutment withthe lever 2| and with the tension connecting member 25, which reducesfriction between the pin, lever and connecting member.

The herein described connection for the float and valve permits thevalve to be very easily and readily removed in the event that it isdesired to clean the valve and its seat of foreign matter, or if for anyreason it is desired to remove the valve. Before the valve"is removedthe chamber 3 will, of course, be enfptied oi fluid and the valvewi1l-be held in its up position by the float. By pressing downward onthe valve .the

I free end of the spring connecting member 25 The operation of my deviceis as follows: when liquid in reservoir 3 increases above the desiredlevel the float 22 will rise and pivot lever 2| to move the valve 2downward toward its seat to reduce the quantity of liquid enteringreservoir 3. Conversely, when the level of the liquid decreases belowthe desired level the float 22 will descend and will pivot lever 2| inthe opposite direction, lifting the valve away from its seat to increaseflow of liquid into reservoir 3.

From the foregoing description it will be 'seen that I have provided anew and improved float which may be excessively heavy so that it may bestrong and durable, and that I have provided simple and inexpensivemeans for compensating for the excess weight of the float. It will alsobe seen that I have provided a novel connecting member for operativelyconnecting the float and valve such that there will not be any lostmotion therebetween. Further, the novel connecting means is of acharacter such that it will automatically take up slack due to wear ofthe parts.

In addition, my connecting means, although holding the float and valvetogether in a manner such that there will be' no lost motion or slacktherebetween, permits of easy and ready removal of the valve. 'Byeliminating slack between the valve and float it will be appreciatedthat the valve will be moved upon very slight movement of the float,which will result in obtaining a more constant'rate of flow from outlet5.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. In a control device, a casing having a valve port, a lever memberhaving an aperture therethrough alined with said port, a valve having astem and reciprocal toward and from said port, said stem projectingthrough said aperture to provide a hand grip portion for manual rotationof said stem, and means operable upon rotation of said stem to hold saidstemand said lever member in engagement, said valve being removable fromsaid port and said lever memher through said aperture.

2. In a control device, a casing having a valve port, a lever memberextending across said port and having an aperture therethrough alinedwith said port, a valve having a stem, the valve end portion of saidstem being insertable through said aperture to position said valve incooperaport, a lever member extending across said port and having anaperture therethrough alined with said port, a valve having a'stem; thevalve end portion of said stem being insertable through said aperture toposition said valve in cooperative relation to said port, said stemhaving intermediate its ends a pair of lateral oppositely directed pivotmembers engageable with said lever member, and a leaf' spring fixed tosaid lever member and having an offset portion, said oflset portionengaging and holding said pivot members in engagement with said levermember.

4; In a control device, a casing having a valve port, a lever memberextending across said port, a

member flxed to said lever member, said members being in overlyingrelation and each having an aperture therethrough alined with said port,a

valve cooperable with said port and having a 7 4 port, a lever memberextending across said port,

a member fixed to said lever member, said members being in overlyingrelation and each having an aperture. therethrough alined with saidport, a valve'cooperable with said port and having a stem extendingthrough said apertures, said stem having a lateral portion positionedbetween-saidmembers, each of said members having its aperture shaped forengagement of said lateral portion with the marginal edge portion or itsaperture, the aperture more remote 'from said port being also shaped forpassage of said portion therethrough, so that upon turning of said stemon its longitudinal axis the valve can be withdrawn through saidapertures and from said lever member; and means holding said stemagainst rotation during operation of said valve.

6. In a control device, a casing having akvalve port, a lever memberextending across said port, a member fixed to said lever member, saidmembers being in overlying relation and each having.

' member, and one of said members having an offsetportion engageablewith and holding said lateral portion against rotation during operationof said valve.

'7, In a control device, a casing having a valve port,'a lever memberextending across said port. a

leaf spring member fixed to said lever member, said members being inoverlying relation and each having an aperture therethrough alined withsaid port, a valve cooperable with said port and-having a stem extendingthrough said apertures, said stem having a lateral portion positionedbetween "said members, each of said members having its aperture shapedfor engagement of said lateral portion with the marginal edge portion ofits aperture, the aperture more remote irom-said port being also shapedfor passage of said portion therethrough, said leaf spring member havingan port, alever member extending across said port and having an aperturetherethrough alined with said port, a valve stem having a valve portionand having intermediate its ends a laterally projecting portion passedby said aperture so that said valve portion and said projecting portioncan be inserted through said aperture to position said projectingportion on the port side of said lever member, saidstem being tumable onits longitudinal axis to position said projecting portion in abuttingrelation to said lever member, and means operable upon turning of saidstem to hold said projecting portion inengagement with said levermember.

9. In a control device, a casing having a valve port, a lever memberextending across saidport and having an aperture therethrough alinedwith said port, a leaf spring member secured to the port side of saidlever member and extending across said aperture, said spring memberhaving an aperture alined with said valve port, a valve member having astem extending through said apertures and having a lateral portionpositioned between said spring member and saidlever member, said levermember aperture being so shaped that upon insertion of .said stemthrough said apertures said projecting portion will pass through saidlever member aperture and engage said spring member, .said spring memberbeing movable away from said lever member by said projecting portionupon-manual operation of said stemso that said stem can be rotated toposition said lateral portion between said spring member and said levermember.

10. In a control device, a casing having a valve port, a lever memberextending across said port and having an aperture therethrough alinedwith said port, a leaf spring member secured to the .port side of saidlever member and extending across said aperture, said spring memberhaving an aperture alined with said valve port, a valve member having astem extending through said apertures and having a lateral projectingportion positioned between said spring member and said lever member,said lever member aperture being so shaped thatupon insertion of saidstem through said apertures said projecting portion will pass throughsaid lever member aperture and engage saidspring member, said springmember being movable away from said lever member by said projectingportion upon manual operation of said stem so that said stem can berotated to position said projecting portion between said spring memberand said lever member, said spring memberhaving an onset portioncooperable with said projecting portion to maintain said projectingportion between said spring member and said lever member duringoperation 01' the valve.

11. In a liquid level control device, a casing having avalve port, alever member in said casing having a fulcrum support, a float membercarried by one end of said lever member, a valve member cooperable withsaid port and having'a stem, laterally projec means on said stemengageable with the port si 'e' of said lever member, said lever memberhaving an aperture therethrough shaped for-passage of said projectingmeans so that upon rotation of said stem the valve may be withdrawn fromsaid lever member through said aperture, a weight member secured to theother end or said lever member and acting by gravity in opposition tothe weight of said float member, and a spring member clamped to saidlever member by said weight member and enga ng said projecting means tohold said valve member and said lever member in operative ent.

m S. RUSBEL.

